Tomlin always one to dream big

Sunday

In 1995, a self-proclaimed “very average graduate” sat listening to the keynote speaker during the commencement ceremonies at the College of William and Mary.

“And you want to know the shame of it?” said Mike Tomlin, former Vikings defensive coordinator, current Pittsburgh Steelers head coach and the aforementioned very average graduate. “I don’t remember a word he said.”

So who was this forgettable man speaking to the graduates of the country’s second-oldest institution of higher learning?

“George Bush,” Tomlin said. “The first one.”

As in George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States of America.

Tomlin practically giggled when he told the story this week. He brought it up because on May 11, it was Tomlin who returned to Williamsburg, Va., to deliver the keynote commencement speech at William and Mary.

“That was very interesting, to say the least,” Tomlin said. “When I graduated from that place, I didn’t envision myself standing up there talking to a group of graduates 13 years later. But I’ve been blessed. It’s been an awesome ride.”

A fast one, too.

Tomlin was a decent receiver at William and Mary. He set the record for career touchdown catches with 20. But his talent fell short of reaching the NFL as a player.

He became a college assistant coach at 23. At 29, he was hired as Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive backs coach. At 33, he was the Vikings’ defensive coordinator. A year later, in 2007, he was the 10th black head coach in NFL history.

“Never in a million years would I have thought I would be leaving Minnesota after only one year,” Tomlin said. “I was extremely happy there. Now I’m a fan of the Minnesota Vikings.”

Still only 36, Tomlin was a college teammate of Vikings safety Darren Sharper, and, oh yeah, he’s also eight months younger than Vikings quarterback Gus Frerotte, who might start.

“My age always comes up,” Tomlin said. “But I’m so used to it, it doesn’t bother me. It’s a nonissue.”

In 2001, the Buccaneers needed a defensive backs coach when Herman Edwards left to become head coach of the New York Jets. Then-Bucs coach Tony Dungy interviewed about 12 candidates. The last one was Tomlin, who was an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati. He also was younger than then-Bucs safety John Lynch.

Tomlin got the job in a landslide. A year later, the Bucs won Super Bowl XXXVII while intercepting five passes and returning three for touchdowns.

In 2006, new Vikings coach Brad Childress wanted a defensive coordinator who could install the Tampa 2 scheme. Childress said Tomlin’s interview confirmed his belief that Tomlin was a good coach who could handle the promotion at such a young age.

“He’s a very good communicator, and I thought he had a good way about him,” Childress said. “He was bright-eyed. He had a great sense of humor, a good laugh. He wasn’t stiff. He was a guy that you knew related well to his players.”

Tomlin was a hit among Vikings defenders. They respected his knowledge and were energized by his infectious personality. His sayings — can anyone forget “Play like your hair’s on fire!”? — still draw smiles at Winter Park.

The Vikings improved defensively from 21st in the NFL to eighth. It was the first time since 1994 that they had a top-10 defense.

“Mike has such a good football energy,” Vikings linebacker Ben Leber said. “Day in and day out, he comes into that meeting room and he’s ready to coach football, ready to get after it. As a player, you feed off of that. He’s a guy you can follow because he’s such a great leader.”

Tomlin’s next step was much more daunting. The Steelers had won the Super Bowl under Bill Cowher 17 months before he arrived. They’ve also had only three head coaches since 1969, and the one before Cowher was a guy named Chuck Noll, a Hall of Famer and a four-time Super Bowl champion.

“When I heard I got the job, it was kind of numbing, kind of surreal,” Tomlin said. “But then immediately I transitioned into brainstorming about the many things that I had to do. It was daunting, but such is the case in the National Football League. If you’re overwhelmed by it, then probably you’re out of place.”

Tomlin said he used some of what he experienced with Childress in 2006 to get through last season.

“That’s one of the things I appreciated in Minnesota; just seeing the things Brad went through as a new head coach,” Tomlin said. “I have a great deal of admiration for his resolve. For how he had a vision for how he wanted to do things, and he stuck to it.”

Tomlin went 10-6 last season, won the AFC North and ranked No. 1 in total defense while maintaining longtime defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and his 3-4 system. But Pittsburgh also lost four of its last five games, including a 31-29 loss to Jacksonville in its playoff opener at home.

“How’d we do?” said Tomlin, repeating the question. “We were 10-6, 0-1 in the playoffs. That’s how we’re judged.”

Tomlin quickly went back to work after the playoff loss. But he did take some time in May to prepare for that commencement speech.

With all due respect to H.W., Tomlin said his goal was to say something “they would remember.”

“I really patterned it after a pregame speech in that the game they’re about to play is the game of life,” Tomlin said. “I said, ‘We’re about to burst open the doors and go out and compete.’ I wanted to encourage them. I wanted to reassure them that they are prepared for the game. They have all the tools that it needs to be successful.”

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